Wipe forming shoe and die combination



Nov. 3, 1959 Y A. YURKA, JR 2,911,031

WIPE FORMING snos AND DIE COMBINATION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 12, 1956 INVENTOR. Q 4061/ VueA A Je 47'70/P/VEVS Nov. 3, 1959 A. YURKA, JR

WIPE FORMING. SHOE AND DIE COMBINATION Filed March 12, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J- INVENTOR. 406057 Yule/o4 f6 Nov. 3, 1959 Filed March 12,

A. YURKA, JR

WIPE FORMING SHOE AND DIE COMBINATION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

4061/57 YUP/(A Je.

NM v i United States Patent 2,911,031 WIPE FORMING SHOE AND DIE COMBINATION August Yurka, IL, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Cyril Bath Company, Solon, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 12, 1956, Serial No. 570,908 2 Claims. (Cl. 153-40) This invention relates to a wipe forming shoe of the type disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 451,924, filed August 24, 1954, and entitled Wipe Forming Shoe and Die Combination, now Patent No. 2,806,506.

This type of wipe forming shoe is one having an operating face with a plurality of stock engaging and forming portions which are movable relative to each other into various self-adjusted positions for accommodating themselves to different configurations and different angular relations of the surfaces of the stock to'be engaged and formed by the shoe.

In said application there is described the diflicul-ty theretofore encountered in the wipe forming, or the combined wipe and stretch forming, of elongated strip metal stock about a side face die by bending the main body of the stock flatwise laterally of the die about a generally upright axis and concurrently by bending one or more webs or flanges of the stock laterally of the die transversely of said axis so as to change the angular relation between a web or flange and the main body of the stock.

As there pointed out, in order to effect such bending, it is necessary that the forming face portions of the wiping shoe presented to the face portions of the stock be adjusted to the changed positions assumed by portions of the stock so as to remain in proper forming relation therewith. If the main body of the stock is to be bent flatwise about the die axis and concurrently flanges on v the stock are to be bent in a direction transversely of the die axis, considerable self adjustment of the different forming face portions of the shoe are necessary,

particularly if the flanges are to be bent to different angles,

respectively. Concurrently with the self-adjustment to such a change, it is necessary to maintain the original or preselected cross sectional shape of the stock. All of these operations must take place while subjecting the stock through the medium of the shoe to relatively high Wipe forming pressures.

With the structure of the above application, this can be effected readily if the surfaces of the stock being formed concurrently at the instantaneous line of contact with the side face of the die are to be parallel to each other. However, if they are to be angularly disposed to -each other, additional factors are introduced.-

T he shoe with which the present invention is concerned not only is adapted for effecting the operations performed ';'by the shoe of my copending application but also is :adapted for forming the stock so that the faces being formed concurrently against the side face of the die at :the line of instantaneous contact between the stock and die are angularly disposed to each other.

Various other advantages and ob ects will become ap- 7 :parent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan 'view of a combined wipe form- .ing and stretch forming machine with a shoe and die ...combination embodying the principles of the present invention installed thereon for operation thereby;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, part thereof being shown in section;

:Figs. 3 and 4 are an enlarged side elevation and a front elevation, respectively, of the wipe forming shoe of the present invention and its supporting and applying structure;

'Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the wiping shoe and is taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the wiping shoe and is taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of a portion of the wiping shoe, side face die, and a piece of stock illustrating the cooperation thereof; and r Fig. 8 is a diagram of a hydraulic system for controlling the operation of the parts of the shoe.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, the machine with which the shoe is used may comprise a frame 1 on which is mounted a power driven turntable 2 which supports a side face forming die 3 about which the stock S is to be wipe formed or concurrently stretch and wipe formed.

Mounted on the frame 1 for swinging movement about an axis 4 parallel to the axis of rotation of the table 2 is a stretch forming piston and cylinder assemblage 5 which includes a cylinder 6 and a piston having a rod 7. The die 3 and the piston rod 7 are provided with means for engaging opposite ends of the stock so as to connect one end for rotation with the die 3 while the stock is held under stretch forming tension by a pull exerted on the opposite end by the piston rod 7.

Also mounted on the frame and angularly disposed about the axis of the table 2 from the assemblage 5 is a wipe-forming piston and cylinder assemblage 8 which comprises a cylinder 9, a piston having a rod 10, and a suitable guided carrier 11 connected to the piston rod and movable therewith axially of the cylinder 9. The parts hereinbefore described are fully disclosed in the above entitled application.

For wipe forming, or combined'wipe and stretch forming, the shoe of the present invention is mounted on the side of the carrier ll with its open front end facing the table 2 so as to be movable by the carrier laterally of the die 3 toward and away from the side face of the die 3.

If it is desired that the shoe be mounted for move ment to difierent positions vertically, it may be supported on a suitable slide block 12 which is mounted for vertical movement on the carrier 11. The block 12, in turn, may be moved by means of a suitable hydraulic or fluid pressure actuated piston and cylinder assemblage 13 having a cylinder 14 mounted on the carrier 11 and a piston having a rod 15 connected to the block '12. The assemblage 13 is preferably a double acting reversible fluid pressure operated assemblage and is connected through asuitable reversing valve to a source of fluid under pressure. It may be operated for lifting and lowering the block 12 during operation of the shoe, and for holding it in predetermined adjusted vertical positions by hydraulic lockingof the assemblage 13.

Referring to the shoe which embodies the present invention, for purposes of illustration it is described as applied to the formation of a piece of stock S of channelshaped cross section having outturued lateral flanges x and y and a base z, and side walls I and m joining the base to the flanges x. and y, respectively, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

The piece of stock is to be bent so that its base z and flanges x and y are curved flatwise about the axis of the die 3 and so that its sides I and m are curved edgewise about the die axis. At the same time the flanges x and y which, in the original stock, could be at right angles to the sides I and m, are to be bent transversely of the upright die axis so as to be at different angles to the sides I and m, respectively, as illustrated in Fig. 7. When wipe form ing the stock to this shape, each of the principal features of the shoe is brought into cooperative relation with the others for producing the necessary bending and wiping effects.

Referring specifically to the shoe, it comprises a housing or body 16 having upper and lower arms 17 and 18, respectively, with coaxial pivots 19 and ZtL'respectively. The housing 16 is open at the front;

The assemblage of relatively movable elements which comprises the self-adjusting part or" .a shoe is. pivotally mounted between the arms 17 and 13 by the pivots 19 and 29.

These relatively movable elements comprise a rear body member 21 and a front body member 22 which are secured together by means of suitable bolts 23. The body member 22 is provided on its forward face with a forwardly extending integral support and guide member .24. The upper and lower faces 25 and 26, respectively, of the support and guide member 24 are smooth finished to provide guideways, as will later be described.

The forward face 27 of the support and guide member 24 is curvilinear about an axis extending transversely of the-body 16 and parallel to the plane of the turntable 2, and is concave forwardly, the radius of curvature :being constant.

A wiping rocker shoe element 28 having a rear curvilinear face 29 of the same radius as, and complementary to, the face 27 is mounted with its face .29 in sliding oscillatable bearing contact with .the surface '27. The forward or wiping face 3% of the rocker shoeelement .23 is smooth and shaped to fit the part of .the ,pieceof metal which it is to form. This face lies substantially at the diameter of the cylindrical surface defined by the rear face 29. Thus the rocker shoe element :28 is escillatable about a horizontal axis lying substantially ,in itsoperating face 39. The rocker shoe element 281s provided at its opposite ends with suitable grooves:31.in. each of which a retaining pin 32 is accommodate'cl,=the pins 32 infturn being fixedly mounted in side plates 5.3 which are rigidly secured to the body members '21 and 1-22. '.-Pins 34 are arranged in the ends, respectively, of-the rocker shoe element 23 and are positioned in the grooves :31 of their associated ends, so as to limit the amplitudeof the oscillation of the rocker shoe element 2.8 by engagement with the retaining pins 32 at thecorrespondingends.

The body member 22 is provided with upper and lower guideways 35 and 36, respectively, which are parallel to the guiding surfaces 25and 26, respectively, of the support and guide member 24. Thus the guide surfaces '25 and 35 form a forwardly open lineal .slideway, as;also do the surfaces 26 and 36.

Floating carriers 37 and 38 are mounted in these ;slide- .ways, respectively, for movement toward and away from the open end of the bodylo. Since these. carriers .are identical ,in .form and function, vonly the carrier :37 audits associated rocker shoe element .aredescrihedin detail. The carrier '37 comprises ablock which is fitted between the guide surfaces 25 and '35 for sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly .of the member '22. To retain the carrier 37 within the body 16..while.pennitting its sliding operation, it is providedflat-its ends. with suitable guide pins-39 which operate in slots..;40:inithe side plates 33. The carriers 37 and'38 .are limitedlo forward andrearward lineal movement in parallelism witheach other.

The forward end of the carrier .37, is curvilinear about ,a horizontal axis and is concave forwardly,.the.-radius of curvature being constant. A rocker shoe elen1ent- 41 having a. rear curvilinear face complementary. to .and juxtaposed against the curvilinear-face of the carrier- 37 -is-mounted on the carrier 37. The element 41 -ispro- 'vided at its ends with slots- 42 in which is receiveda re- -taining-pin 43-=n1ounted-- on suitable supports-44 secured are indicated at x and y.

to the carrier 37. Pins 45, corresponding in form and function to the pins 34 are arranged in the slot 42 for limiting the oscillation of the rocker shoe element 41. The forward face of the element 41 is of a proper shape to fit the flange x of the piece to be formed.

The carrier 38 correspondingly is provided with a rocker shoe element 46 which in form and function is the same as the rocker shoe element 41. Thus each of the carriers 37 and 3,8 is movable forwardly and rearwardly in parallelism with the other and the rocker shoe elements and 5h? thereof are oscillatable independently of each other and of the position of the carriers about parallel horizontal axes, respectively.

For certain advantages in wipe forming, later to be described, means are provided for yieldably urging the carriers 37 and 38 forwardly independently of each other. For this purpose, fluid pressure mechanisms, such as hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblages, are preferable as the .desired pressure can be built up and controlled .and maintained at the desired amount in all posi tions .of each carrier.

Accordingly, the member 21 is provided with suitable cylinder bores 59 respective torthecarriers, and with ducts 51 leading into the bores. Each bore 56 is provided with a suitable cylinder lining 52 in which a piston 53 is reciprocable forwardly and rearwardly of the body 16. A suitable seal 54 is provided on each piston.

Each piston has a forward projection 55 which extends through a suitable bore in the member 22 and engages the rear face of its associated one of the carriers 3.7 .and 3.8.

if: desired, sealed bellows may be provided in the cylinders between the pistons 53 and ducts 51 and connected .to the latterso as to cause hydraulic operation of the pistons while maintaining a seal to prevent the fluid from escaping throughthe forwardportion of the cylinders.

Fluid pressure is admitted through suitable conduits to the ducts 51 so that during the operation of the shoe, the carriers 37 and 33, and therefore the rocker shoe elements 41 and 46 are yieldably urged forwardly of the shoe,.whichis in the direction of the side face die 3 with which theishoe is to be cooperated.

Since .thecarriers 36 and 37 are independentlyr op- .erable, the movement of either in a forward direction does not; have to be accompanied by an equal movement of the other in the opposite direction asin my copending ap- .plioation. Accordingly the shoe is adapted for a much greater varietyof shapes to be formed.

Asv an example of how the shoe, operates as it is forced, operatingface forwardly, toward the die 3, the shoe is .shown in. Fig. ,7 as forming the length of stock of channelshaped cross .section having outturned marginal flanges, which are neither parallel to each other nor to thebase of the channel.

.Referring to Fig. 7, a cross-section of the stock 8 is one in which the base of the channelis indicated at z. The sides .of the channel areindicated at l and m, m being ofgreater length than I. The marginalflanges In the shape illustrated, the base z is at anangle a to the horizontal, theflange x is atan angle b to the horizontal, and the flange y is atanangle c to the, horizontal. For clearness inillustration, it is assumed that eachof theangles a,. b, and c is different from. the others. The operating face of the die 3 is shaped to. fit the finished cross section of the channel as abovedescribed.

In operation the shoe is'moved forwardly until the face 1 of, the die3 is brought into engagement with the'base of the channel, the pressure of application bein'g'such that the rocker shoe element'ZS adjusts itself to the angle Ofthe face 1 and correspondingly disposes the base z that angle. Next, pressure fluid is admitted to the cylinders-5il through'the ducts 51 and operates'the pistons to move the carriers 37 and 38 forwardly, thus" disposing the rocker shoe elements 41 and 46 with their wiping faces parallel'to the faces g and h, respectively, of the die 3, which are to form the flanges x and y, respectively. In this condition, rotation of the table is begun and the stock wipe formed about the side face of the die 3, the rocker shoe elements 28, 41 and 46 accommodating themselves to the shape and angularity of the faces 1, g, and h, respectively, of the rotating side face die, with the stock therebetween, at the instantaneous line of contact with the die 3.

If the angularity of the faces 1, g, and h of the die are changed at any instantaneous line of contact as the die 3 is rotated, the rocker shoe elements can accommodate themselves to such changes.

Since the assembly comprising the self-adjusting part of the shoe is mounted on the pivots 19 and 20, the shoe and its parts can readily accommodate themselves to changes in the curvature of the stock in a direction about the axis of the side face die.

Thus while the shoe accommodates itself to the curvature of the stock about the axis of the side face die, the rocker shoe elements accommodate themselves to the angularity of the stock in a direction transversely of the axis of the side face die.

In some instances it is desirable to apply greater pressure with one rocker shoe element than with another, concurrently, depending on variations in thickness of the stock, severity of the bend, angularity transversely of the die axis, and the like.

For this purpose, and to provide for independent control of the pistons 53 and thereby the pressure applied by the rocker shoe elements, each cylinder may be connected with its individual motor driven variable delivery pump 58 and interposed control or relief valve 59. v The delivery pressure of each pump 58 can be regulated independently of the other. By manipulation of the valves 59 or regulation of the delivery pressure of the pumps 58, each rocker shoe element can be applied at the optimum pressure for its particular part of the work to be performed by it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a wipe forming machine-including a die support, a side face die thereon, a wipe forming shoe cooperable with the side face, means for effecting relative movement of the shoe and side face of the die in a wiping direction endwise of the side face, means yieldably urging the shoe toward the side face during said movement of the shoe endwise relative to the side face, said wipe forming shoe including :a body having an open front, a plurality of wiping devices mounted therein for guided movement toward and away from said open front independently of each other, said devices being arranged side by side in a diretion transversely of said die face, fluid pressure operable mechanisms carried by the body and operatively connected to the devices, respectively, and continuously urging the devices toward said open front, independently of each other, under yielding pressure when yielding fluid pressure is supplied to the fluid pressure operated mechanisms, power driven pressure supplying means for supplying yielding fluid pressure to said fluid pressure operated mechanisms continuously during operation of the shoe, each wiping device including a carrier mounted in the body for lineal guided movement toward and away from said open front, the carrier of each device being connected to said fluid pressure operated mechanism of its associated device for movement thereby toward said open front, and a rocker shoe element mounted on that end of the carrier facing forwardly of the body for oscillation relative to its carrier about an axis extending parallel to the wiping direction and having a wiping face facing forwardly of the body, and said shoe further including a forwardly projecting support member disposed between said carriers and having peripheral Wall surface engaging peripheral wall surfaces of the carriers, respectively, and in sliding guiding relation thereto, and another rocker shoe element having a forwardly exposed wiping face and mounted on the forward end of said support member for oscillation relative thereto about an axis parallel to the axes of the other rocker shoe elements.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein control means are operatively connected to the power driven pressure supplying means for controlling the pressure supplied to each mechanism independently of the pressure supplied to the other mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,143,443 Kelso Jan. 10, 1939 2,241,414 Morris May 13, 1941 2,261,793 Broomham Nov. 4, 1941 2,346,371 Fink Apr. 11, 1944 2,497,690 Roberts Feb. 14, 1950 2,592,229 Alaxay Apr. 8, 1952 2,740,454 Fuchs Apr. 3, 1956 2,806,506 Yurka Sept. 17, 1957 

